![]() Think of it this way: after the job season, you’ll have written maybe half a dozen varieties of research- and teaching-focused letters. I realize the length of the list is daunting. I am not guaranteeing anything– these are just observations I’ve made in applying to nearly thirty jobs (some research-focused and some teaching-focused), serving on search committees, and editing dozens of cover letters for others. Some background information: I’ve been lucky and am extremely grateful to have had interviews every season and back-to-back tenure-track jobs. As I will state at the end, I welcome additional tips that others in the community have to add. I don’t judge anyone for going into alt-ac or leaving academia all together some of the smartest people in my PhD cohort chose not to finish the degree, preferring other paths that I’m sure make them happy, and I am happy for them.įor those who want to stay, I’d like to offer suggestions based on my own experiences, noting that different disciplines may have fine-tuned requirements that I haven’t acknowledged here or even differing advice. ![]() We all know the precarious futures of young academics, as well as the struggles faced by those who have been on the job market for six months or six years. The cover letter is less finicky than the grant proposal (hurray, no citations!), but needs to be both cleaner and even more persuasive. It is your brief chance to show a search committee what you have to offer–including your existing/future research, your teaching methods, and that you’d be a great colleague. The academic cover letter is a unique genre, and getting it right is as hard as the first time you wrote a grant proposal. Recently, I’ve offered to look over the cover letters of a few people applying to professor positions.
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